PAULO SERGIO is learning to play guitar to escape the stresses of managing Hearts ... and he loves to strum along to the sounds of U2.

Let’s face it, he has been working on a Pro Bono basis for several months anyway.

Sergio gave an intriguing glimpse into his life away from the Jambos yesterday after another week of headlines about salary delays.

The SPL are taking the club to task for missing Monday’s deadline for payment of January wages, a claim Hearts angrily deny.

Sergio insists it would be crazy for the football authorities to punish his players twice by docking them points after they have already not been paid on time in recent months.

It’s little wonder he revealed he has been playing the blues to add to a musical repertoire that also includes Pink Floyd – whose biggest hits include Money – as well as the Irish supergroup.

No doubt Sergio has gone to the cashpoint on several occasions this season and had to reflect that he still hasn’t found what he’s looking for.

He said: “What I do after work to enjoy myself? Well, I like to go to a good restaurant and drink a glass of wine.

“When I leave our academy at half three, four o’clock, I call my kids on Skype and look at football games on the internet and TV.

“I have also bought a guitar and am learning to play that with the help of U2. I love it.

“I’m just learning. I started two months ago and at the end of the season I will give a concert.

“It is something I have always loved. When I was 16 or 17 I was at school and had football training at 7pm and also bought a guitar.

“I was running about to another place to learn to play the guitar. I was there for three or four months but time was short and I had to quit something so I quit guitar.

“I love all kinds of music. I actually love the stuff you hear in bars or discotheques, young people’s music.

“However, I prefer the old ones. I am a superfan of U2, Pink Floyd, stuff like that – and I love the blues.”

Robert Johnson himself probably could not do justice to the off-field turmoil suffered by Hearts this season after owner Vladimir Romanov withdrew his funding of the club.

Astonishingly, under Sergio’s astute management Hearts have still gone third in the table with a six-match unbeaten run, which includes five victories ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Inverness.

However, their ongoing row with the SPL over late payment of wages continues to hang over the club amid claims they could even be docked points.

Sergio reckons that is ludicrous and would only serve to damage the squad the SPL stepped in to protect last month at the request of the players’ union.

He added: “I can’t believe that can happen. It’s not logical that players who were not being paid on time and made the complaint would be punished twice.

“Those players are doing all they can for the club yet could be playing to avoid relegation. It’s a stupid rule. Who is going to be punished? The players.

“I can’t agree with that rule – I hope people are sensible and change it.”

Sergio bristled on occasions at Riccarton yesterday as his frustration spilled over that pre-match media conferences are still being dominated by talk of incidents off the field rather than on it.

However, he is also long enough in the tooth to accept the media maelstrom will continue so long as Romanov continues to play fast and loose with the livelihoods of his staff, whom the manager again praised to the hilt.

He said: “You don’t want to give me a break this week? You don’t want to speak about football?

“Of course this is a test and we’re trying to do our best. I’m very proud of the players, who are doing a really good job.

“When it first became a problem there was a massive impact. No one was prepared to deal with this and it showed in our results.

“We had bad results for five or six games but have learned and are dealing with the problems. The team’s determination and character has never failed.”

Sergio is confident Rudi Skacel will sign a new contract, at least until the end of the season, but admits Ryan Stevenson’s future is uncertain and denied he is back training with the squad.

Sergio is also desperate for the transfer window to close as he prays more players won’t be shipped out to cover costs.

He was also typically forthright when asked if he is working on bringing new players to the club this month or on pre-contract agreements.